Court grants T-News injunction over NBT programme
The Administrative Court on Wednesday ordered the Public Relations Department not to take off the air a programme that is often critical of the red shirts and former premier Thaksin Shinawatra.
The court order prohibited the PRD from removing the plaintiff's programme off the air until further order or verdict from the court, according to a statement issued by the court on Wednesday.
Chatchai Phookhokwai, assistant executive director of the satellite-based T-News television who represents Green Intelligent, said that the company brought the case to court in a bid to seek protection to its constitutional right to expression. He said the company leased airtime from the PRD and the contract would expire on September 30.
According to the lawsuit, the PRD prevented Green Intelligent from broadcasting its programme on NBT on grounds that its content was not promoting the reconciliation efforts and that the programme mentioned the red shirts and a third party in a way that could cause social division.
The plaintiff said that the PRD action was against the Constitution, which guarantees the right to expression. The plaintiff requested court order for the PRD to allow the programme to be broadcast and sought damages of Bt564,200 plus interest for loss of income.
